Discernment of spirits is one of the most important abilities a Christian can develop. We live in a world filled with voices, opinions, spiritual claims, teachings, dreams, prophecies, impressions, and influences. Not everything that sounds spiritual comes from God, and not everything that uses the name of Jesus accurately represents Him. That is why Scripture repeatedly teaches believers to examine, test, and discern what they hear and encounter. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” — 1 John 4:1 Discernment is not suspicion. It is not judging people based on appearances, personality, emotion, or personal preference. Biblical discernment is the ability to recognize truth from error and to distinguish what is from God from what is not. What Is Discernment of Spirits? The Bible speaks about discernment in more than one way. First, there is the spiritual maturity that every believer should develop through knowing God's Word a...